Traffic collisions continue to rise in Calgary, prompting the city to develop an artificial intelligence platform aimed at identifying the highest-risk intersections before collisions occur. Ward 7 Coun. Myke Atkinson described the situation as an emergency, emphasizing the need for action and innovation.
According to a report presented to a city council committee on Wednesday, major traffic collisions increased in almost every category last year. The report, part of Calgary's 2024-28 safer mobility plan in partnership with the Calgary Police Service, targets a 25 percent year-over-year reduction in fatal and severe injury collisions by 2028.
However, the city is trending in the opposite direction. In 2025, 27,609 vehicle collisions were reported in Calgary, with 3,227 resulting in injuries. This marks an increase from nearly 26,000 collisions and 2,908 injuries in 2024. Of those injured, 643 people were hospitalized, a 13 percent year-over-year increase, and 38 collision victims were killed, representing a 31 percent rise in fatalities from 2024.
Pedestrian collisions also saw a rise, with 121 major incidents involving pedestrians, eight percent more than in 2024, and 15 pedestrian fatalities, two more than the previous year. Pedestrians accounted for 40 percent of Calgary's fatal collisions in 2025, the highest of all categories. Road departure collisions, including head-on, off-road, and struck-object collisions, accounted for 32 percent of the total.
The number of collisions was higher than last year in every major category except motorcycle crashes, which were down 17 percent compared to 2024, the report said.
'Every number represents a Calgarian'
The alarming numbers were highlighted by Surendra Mishra, a traffic engineer for the city's Mobility Traffic Safety team, who delivered the report. He stressed that these injuries and fatalities are not just numbers but represent Calgarians and their families, with far-reaching consequences for society.
Mishra noted that the numbers are not declining, with more than 9,000 collisions reported in the first four months of this year, along with over 900 injuries and 12 fatalities. Last week alone, five collisions involving pedestrians occurred over four consecutive days.
Despite significant investments in pedestrian safety improvements and speed limit reductions in recent years, Mishra explained that a recent increase in serious injuries and fatalities at higher-speed arterials and freeways is outpacing the gains achieved at locations with such improvements.
The city's adoption of artificial intelligence to identify the highest-risk intersections is a key part of the strategy to reverse the trend and improve road safety for all Calgarians.
